Saturday, April 20, 2013

Woes of Anand Vihar in water front !

 In response to your clarion call in your esteemed newspaper under ‘Saving a mega city’ relating to DJB’s matters, I give the following comments for your consideration and highlighting them in your columns with the fond hope and aspiration that they will receive due attention of the authorities concerned for remedial expeditious action:-

Ø  Demolition of OHT: At the instance and approval of the then Govt.agencies and at the cost of the Anand Vihar Society (over Rs.6 lakhs) a huge ‘overhead tank’ was constructed in 1977 for storage and supply of ground water upto 1984 and with the supply of Ganga water in ’84 to the entire colony and surrounding areas, the OHT became redundant. The Society had been pleading time and again with all the authorities concerned to demolish it and construct a ‘underground water reservoir (UGR) at the same place for supply of water. Cracks had developed in OHT and may endanger the lives and properties of all residents around in Anand Vihar but no visible action has been taken so far by DJB – perhaps awaiting an (un)expected and sudden calamity to take place which will hit the ‘headlines’!

Ø  Unauthorized occupation: The DJB had unauthorizedly occupied the land surrounding the OHT which belongs to the Society, as its cost on land and development including for construction of the OHT, was borne by the Society. They are reluctant to leave it which could be profitably utilized for many useful  and beneficial purposes of the residents, whose number is increasing manifold day by day!

Ø  Replacement of water pipe lines: The entire water-pipe lines were laid when the colony came up over three decades back and the existing pipelines then laid have outlived their prescribed lives and are wearing out supplying rusted water through the pipelines endangering the lives of the people! Taking into consideration all factors, the DJB assured to replace the pipelines in phases in the entire colony about two years back but still a beginning has to be made! With the ‘plotted’ colony becoming ‘flatted’ colony and consequent increase in population and consumption of water by residents the DJB had also been requested to widen the gauge of the pipelines when being replaced! No response. Perhaps yet an another calamity awaited!

Ø  Cleaning of sewerage lines: With the increase in population in the colony and consequent increase of flow of sewerage, the DJB had been requested to increase the gauge of the sewer lines, pending that use a mechanical device to clean up the entire line in the colony. No action taken.

Ø  Water harvesting: As a measure of ‘water harvesting’ the Society had requested the MCD to puncture the concrete base of the storm water drainage line so that waste water will not accumulate but will seep into earth. But alas no action taken while they are propagating/appealing to citizens of Delhi to take adequate measures for ‘water harvesting’ where this simple method could save a lot of water, presently stagnating over the base of the covered drains and thus becoming a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes and spreading ‘malaria’ etc.

Ø  Billing system: In short it could be said: ‘atrocious’ as the entire billing system is totally disastrous and the meters readers and billing clerks are playing ‘havoc’ with the entire process sending unimaginable astounding amount of bills for payment and all are forced to go to DJB’s office to get them rectified! Have you ever heard of such a callous machinery functioning anywhere!

T K Balu
Anand Vihar

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